1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic printing system and a photographic printing method in which a cartridge in which a photographic photosensitive material is accommodated is received from a customer, the photographic photosensitive material is removed from the cartridge, the photographic photosensitive material is developed, printing exposure onto a photographic printing paper is carried out in accordance with an image developed on the photographic photosensitive material, and finally, the cartridge, the photographic photosensitive material, and the photographic printing paper are collated and returned to the customer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, storing elements such as ICs or the like have been provided at cartridges for accommodating photographic photosensitive materials such as photographic films (such photographic photosensitive materials will be referred to simply as xe2x80x9cphotographic filmsxe2x80x9d hereinafter), such that printing conditions for the respective frame images can be recorded in the IC. For such a cartridge provided with an IC, at the lab, information such as the printing conditions are read from the IC and a printing processing is carried out in accordance with the information. The cartridge is then returned to the customer which the photographic film accommodated therein.
When developing a photographic film accommodated in a cartridge, the photographic film is withdrawn from the cartridge, the photographic film and the cartridge are separated, and the photographic film is developed. There are also cases in which the photographic film is also left separated from the cartridge in the printing process which follows the developing process. In the printing process, a photographic film which is kept accommodated in the cartridge can be printed, but special carriers are needed in this case. In the case of a cartridge with an IC, the photographic film is separated from the cartridge. Thus, the photographic film may be erroneously printed on the basis of information stored in an IC for some other cartridge. Or, the photographic film may erroneously be accommodated back into a different cartridge after the printing processing is completed.
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide a photographic printing system and photographic printing method in which, even if the photographic film is separated from the cartridge in which the photographic film was accommodated, printing can be carried out with the photographic film and the cartridge surely corresponding to each other, and the photographic film and cartridge can be returned to the customer.
A first aspect of the present invention is a photographic printing system comprising: separating means which separates a photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in a cartridge provided with a storing element for storing printing information, from the cartridge; identification mark applying means which applies to the photographic photosensitive material an identification mark for having the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge correspond to one another; first reading means which reads printing information stored in the storing element; storing means which stores the identification mark and printing information read by the first reading means in correspondence with one another; second reading means which reads, from the storing means, printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material; and printing means which, in a state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated, prints, on the basis of printing information read by the second reading means, an image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material onto a photographic printing paper.
In the first aspect of the present invention, when the photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in the cartridge provided with the storing element for storing printing information, is separated from the cartridge by the separating means, the same identification mark as that of the cartridge is applied to the separated photographic photosensitive material by the identification mark applying means so that the photosensitive material and cartridge correspond to one another. Then, the identification mark and the printing information, which is stored in the storing element and is read by the first reading means, are stored in correspondence with one another in the storing means.
Then, second reading means reads the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material. On the basis of the printing information, the image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material is printed onto a photographic printing paper by the printing means in a state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated.
In this way, even if the photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated from one another, by applying the same identification mark as that of the cartridge to the photographic photosensitive material, printing processing can be carried out with the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge reliably corresponding to one another.
A second aspect of the present invention is a photographic printing system comprising: separating means which separates a photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in a cartridge provided with a storing element for storing printing information, from the cartridge; identification mark applying means which applies to the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge an identification mark for having the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge correspond to one another; first reading means which reads printing information stored in the storing element; storing means which stores the identification mark and printing information read from the first reading means in correspondence with one another; second reading means which reads, from the storing means, printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material; printing means which, in a state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated, prints, on the basis of printing information read by the second reading means, an image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material onto a photographic printing paper; accommodating means which, after printing by the printing means is completed, accommodates the photographic photosensitive material in the cartridge to which is applied the identification mark corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material.
In the second aspect, when the photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in the cartridge provided with the storing element for storing printing information, is separated from the cartridge by the separating means, the same identification mark is applied to the separated photographic photosensitive material and cartridge by the identification mark applying means so that the photographic photosensitive material and cartridge correspond to one another. Then, the identification mark and the printing information, which is stored in the storing element and is read by the first reading means, are stored in correspondence with one another in the storing means.
Further, the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material is read by the second reading means. In the state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated from one another, the printing means prints, on the basis of the printing information, the image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material onto a photographic printing paper. Then, after printing by the printing means has been completed, the accommodating means accommodates the photographic photosensitive material into the cartridge to which is applied the identification mark corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material. In this way, the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material and the identification mark applied to the cartridge are matched up with one another, and the photosensitive material is accommodated in the cartridge and the cartridge is returned to the customer. Thus, there is no erroneous accommodating of a photographic photosensitive material in a cartridge of another customer.
A third aspect of the present invention is a photographic printing method comprising the steps of: separating a photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in a cartridge provided with a storing element for storing printing information, from the cartridge, and before or after separating the photographic photosensitive material from the cartridge, applying an identification mark to the photographic photosensitive material so as to have the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge correspond to one another; reading the printing information stored in the storing element, and storing the printing information and the identification mark in correspondence with one another; and reading the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material, and, on the basis of the printing information, printing an image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material onto a photographic printing paper in a state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated.
In the third aspect of the present invention, the photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in the cartridge provided with the storing element for storing printing information, is separated from the cartridge. Either before or after separation, the same identification mark as that of the cartridge is applied to the photographic photosensitive material so as to have the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge correspond to one another. Then, the printing information stored in the storing element is read, the printing information and the identification mark are stored in correspondence with each other, and the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material is read. On the basis of the printing information, the image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material is printed onto a photographic printing paper in the state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated from each other. In this way, even when the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated, by applying the identification mark to the photographic photosensitive material, printing processing can be carried out with the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge reliably corresponding to one another.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is a photographic printing method comprising the steps of: separating a photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in a cartridge provided with a storing element for storing printing information, from the cartridge, and before or after separating the photographic photosensitive material from the cartridge, applying an identification mark to the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge so as to have the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge correspond to one another; reading the printing information stored in the storing element and storing the printing information and the identification mark in correspondence with one another; reading the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material, and, on the basis of the printing information, printing an image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material onto a photographic printing paper in a state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated; and accommodating the photographic photosensitive material in the cartridge to which is applied the identification mark corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material.
In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the photographic photosensitive material, which is accommodated in the cartridge provided with the storing element for storing printing information, is separated from the cartridge. Either before or after separation, an identification mark is applied to the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge so as to have the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge correspond to one another. Then, the printing information stored in the storing element is read, the printing information and the identification mark are stored in correspondence with each other, and the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material is read. On the basis of the printing information, the image recorded on the photographic photosensitive material is printed onto a photographic printing paper in the state in which the photographic photosensitive material and the cartridge are separated from each other. After printing, the photographic photosensitive material is accommodated in the cartridge to which is applied the identification mark corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material. In this way, the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material and the identification mark applied to the cartridge are matched up with one another, and the photographic photosensitive material is accommodated in the cartridge and the cartridge is returned to the customer. Thus, there is no erroneous accommodating of a photographic photosensitive material in a cartridge of another customer.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the photographic printing method of the fourth aspect further comprises the steps of: reading the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material; storing the printing information in a cartridge provided with a storing element; and accommodating the photographic photosensitive material in the cartridge.
In the fifth aspect, when the photographic photosensitive material is to be accommodated in a cartridge, the printing information corresponding to the identification mark applied to the photographic photosensitive material is read. The printing information is stored in a cartridge provided with a storing element, and the photographic photosensitive material is accommodated in this cartridge. This cartridge may be a cartridge which previously accommodated the photographic photosensitive material, or may be a different cartridge. In this way, by reading the printing information and storing it at the cartridge, even cases in which a cartridge is lost or the like can be dealt with.